Bottle opener with cap receiver



March 11, 1952 D. J. AJOUELO BOTTLE OPENER WITH CAP RECEIVER Filed Feb. 12, 1948 I J .f.

Davis J Ajouelo A AtrgrneLi Patented Mar. 11, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BOTTLE OPENER WITH CAP RECEIVER Davis J. Aj'ouelc, Atlanta, Ga.

Application February 12, 1948, Serial No. 7,929

3' Claims.

1 This invention relates to a bottle opener of the type which may be attached to a wall or other 'support for removing crown caps from bottles. Conventional bottle openers of this type are well known for removing crown caps by engagement of a lip on the opener with the edge of the cap. The bottle is then bodily moved about a fulcrum bearing on the cap. In most cases, unless the bottle is carefully positioned it frequently turns and slips away from the opener. This usually happens when the bottle is not precisely positioned normal to the edge of the opener and is caused by a rolling movement of the cap over.

the lip of the opener. Inso rolling the bottle turns about its own. axis and comes away from the opener with the crown cap intact. Such conventional bottle openers frequently cause chipping of the neck of the bottle because it strikes the lip of the opener with the force which is being applied to remove the cap.

It is a major object of this invention to provide a bottle opener which will remove the crown cap even though the bottle may be positioned somewhat ofi center with respect to the edge of the opener. vention contemplates prevention of turning movements of the bottle thereby avoiding the rolling movement which causes the bottle to slip away from the opener without removing the cap. Another object of the invention is to provide a bottle opener which will avoid chipping the bottle by holding the cap so the bottle is spaced from the lip of the opener.

*It is a further object of the invention to provide a combined receptacle and cover for the More particularly, the present inbottle opener which has a streamline outward appearance. A specific object of this invention is to provide a receptacle andcover which may be detached from the wall supported bottle" opener to permit cleaning and removal of the caps.

Other objects and advantages of the'invention will become apparent from the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a front elevation of a bottle opener embodying the invention in its preferred form;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the bottle opener shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is afront elevation of the bottle opener shown in Fig. I with the cover removed and some parts broken away for purposes of clearance;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the opener shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a modified form of the invention; and

Figure 6 is a vertical section through the bottle opener shown in Fig. 5.

In its preferred form, the invention. includes a bracket which may be attached to a Wall and which carries a bottle opener having an arcuate edge provided with a series of teeth for engaging in the crimps on the crown cap to prevent the bottle from turning about its own axis while removing the cap. A fulcrum projects from the bracket for engaging the center of the cap. Chipping of the bottle is prevented by stop members spaced sufficiently above the arcuate edge to engage the crown cap and prevent the edge from striking the bottle. A combined cover and cap receptacle has a. flat back provided with an opening for surrounding the bracket so the back is flush with the wall. The bracket may have detents for retaining the cover in position by permitting it to be removed for purposes of cleaning and removing the caps. The rounded front of the cover hasan opening through which the bottle may be inserted to the cap remover.

Referring now to. the drawings, the bottle opener embodying the invention has a plate II which may be attached on a wall l2 or other supporting surface as by screws [3, l3, projecting through holes M, J4, in the plate. Extending outwardly from the upper end of the plate H is a bottle opener supporting member [4 which is preferably inclined downwardly and outwardly at a slight angle with respect to the horizontal. The end of this plate is formed with a flange 15 extending downwardly and inwardly. The flange l5 terminates in an arcuate edge !6 for engaging the crimped edge of a crown cap H. as shown in. dotted lines in Fig. 2. The end of the flange I 6 is formed with a series of teeth l8, l8, extending along the approximate are at the end of the flange. These teeth I8 are spaced apart so they will engagein the crimps formed in the crown cap I! and are preferably bent toward the plate II to insure a positive grip on the cap.

Projecting outwardly from the plate II is a fulcrum 2| so arranged that it will engage approximately the center portion of the crown cap I 1. As shown-in, the drawings, this fulcrum may have a cylindrical shape formed as integral part of the plate H. When a bottle is applied to the opener as illustrated in Fig. 2, the arcuate It is an important feature of the present invention that the teeth I8 arranged around the arcuate edge I6 engage in the crimps in the crown cap and thereby restrain turning movements of the bottle about its own axis. Thus, even though the bottle is ofi center, turning movement about its own axis will be prevented so the cap is removed upon the application of downward pressure to the body of the bottle.

Above the arcuate edge I6 there are positioned stop members or pins 23, 23, projecting inwardly from the inner side of the flange I5. These stop members 23 are spaced above the serrated arcuate edge I6 sufficiently to permit engagement with the bottle cap by the teeth I8 but prevent the arcuate edge from striking the bottle as the cap is removed. This reduces damage to the bottles in removal of the caps.

As thus far described, the bottle opener is in the form of a bracket which may be attached to the wall for removing a crown cap from a bottle. Another important feature of the invention is the provision of a combined cover and cap receptacle for the bottle opener. As shown in the drawing, the cover 24 has a flat back 25 provided with an opening 26 shaped to surround the plate I I. The cover 24 has a front 21 which is suitably rounded as at 28 and 29 to prevent a pleasing streamlined appearance. This is augmented by having the upper portion of the back of the cover extending at 36 above the opening 26 so the rounded portion 28 will obscure most of the parts of the cap remover. An open ing 3! is formed in the front 2'! so a bottle may be inserted as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

For attaching the cover 24 to the bracket, the plate I I has its lower marginal portion 33 pressed outwardly to form an offset spaced from the wall I2. The ends of the offset portion 33 are bent outwardly to form projections 34, 34, each of which has a detent bead 35, 35. Portions of the side walls of the cover 24 are pressed inwardly at 36 and formed with a slit to permit the members 34 to slide inside of the walls of the cover. The bent portions 36 are provided with indentations 38 which cooperate with the beads 35 to hold the cover on the bracket. The resiliency of the projections 34 is sufficient to hold the beads 35 in engagement with the indentations 38. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the cover 24 has an elongated lower portion 39 forming a receptacle for a large number of caps removed by the bottle opener. For purposes of removing accumulated caps and cleaning the bottle opener, the cover 24 may be removed from the bracket while the bracket is secured to the wall. Similarly, the cover may be replaced and held in position by the bracket so the entire structure presents a pleasing appearance on the wall. a

In some installations, as, for example, in hotel rooms, it may be desirable to permanently secure the cover on the bottle opener. In such installations, as the caps are frequently removed, it is not necessary to provide a large receptacle for the caps. For use in such places, a modified form of cover M is shown in Figs. and 6. This cover has a fiat back 42 provided with an opening 43 corresponding to the opening 26 of the cover shown in Fig. 2 and adapted to surround the plate I I. When the plate II is placed on the wall, the cover is held in place by tabs 44, 44, arranged to slide beneath the offset margin 33 of the plate II. With this arrangement,

cover by resting on the opener supporting memher I4. Removal of the cover is prevented by the arrangement of the tabs 44 beneath the offset margin 33. A smaller lower portion 46 of the cover provides a receptacle for caps removed from bottles. These caps may be removed from the receptacle by reaching through opening 41 formed in the rounded front of the cover. It will be noted that the plate II which serves as a bracket to support the bottle opener may be used in connection with either type of casing. In other words, the bottle opener bracket is suitable for use with a removable cover or with a permanently attached cover.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the bottle inserted through openings 31 or M in the casings 24 or M, respectively, will have the central portion of its crown cap engaged by fulcrum 2| and the edge of the crown cap engaged by arcuate edge I6. The arcuately arranged teeth I8, I8, around the edge I6 engage the crimps of the cap to prevent the bottle from turning about its own axis and therebyavoid the possibility of the bottle sliding away from the opener without removing the cap. Stop members in the form of pins 23, 23, engage the side of the crown cap and are sufficiently spaced above the serrated arcuate edge to permit engagement with portions of the crown cap but prevent the bottle from striking the opener and thereby reducing the chances of chipping the bottle. A rounded cover is secured to the bottle opener bracket either permanently or by removable detents to obscure most of the elements of the opener and present a pleasing appearance on the wall. The lower portion of said cover provides a receptacle for receiving caps removed by the opener.

What is claimed is:

l. A bottle opener comprising a supporting bracket for attachment to a wall, a crown cap remover carried by said bracket, a casing having a fiat back provided with an opening shaped to surround said bracket, and means for attaching said casing to said bracket so the back side is flush with the wall, said casing having a rounded front provided with an opening through which a bottle may be inserted to said cap remover, the bottom of said casing forming a receptacle for receiving removed caps.

2. A bottle opener comprising a supporting bracket for attachment to a wall, a crown cap remover carried by said bracket, a casing having a flat back provided with an opening for sur rounding said bracket, and detents projecting from said bracket for engaging the walls of said casing adjacent the back opening for holding the casing on the bracket flush with the wall and permitting removal of the casing from the bracket, said casing having a rounded front provided with an opening through which a bottle may be inserted to said cap remover, the lower portion of said casing forming a receptacle for receiving removed caps.

3. A bottle opener comprising a supporting plate for attachment to a wall, an opener supporting member projecting from the upper portion of said plate, a flange depending from the outer end of said member terminating in an arcuate edge forming a bottle cap remover, a series of teeth arranged around the arcuate edge of said flange and extending toward said plate for engaging in the crimps of a crown cap to prevent turning, a fulcrum projecting from said plate below said member for engaging the center of a cap on a bottle, a casing having a flat back 5 6 provided with an opening for surrounding said UNITED STATES PATENTS plate, and means for attaching said casing to Number Name Date said plate, said casing having a rounded front 501 050 Bernardm y 11 1893 provided with an opening through which a bottle 928156 Rydquist y 1909 may be inserted to said cap remover, the bottom 5 1 064501 Lee 1913 of said casing forming a receptacle for receiving 1500'882 gg g y 1924 Yemmed caps- 1 547 578 Frisone -ffffffffff: July 28' 1925 DAVIS E 1,610,437 Frick Dec' 14, 1926 1,929,855 Saal Oct. 10, 1933 REFERENCES CITED 10 1,974,836 Schilling Sept. 25, 1934 The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

